Blair Valley & Anza Borrego Exploration

I don't know how many times we have been to the Anza Borrego area, but every time we go, we find new and exciting adventures! This time we ventured past the town of Borrego Springs to Blair Valley. We actually camped in Blair Valley (just a few feet from where the old stagecoach trail was). We lucked out on an amazing dry camp spot, nestled at the foothills of Blair Valley (exceptional views and full cell service...imagine that)! We took in the touristy sights and did the two hikes to the Kumeyaay indian Pictograph sight and to the Kumeyaay mortars. We also explored an area where De Anza camped back in 1775 (noted as the San Gregorio camp spot) as well as a night trek through the erie Military Wash, which was littered with remnants of old military training exercises and maneuvers. The Military Wash was being watched over, by one solitary guard (we were lucky enough to get close enough to the little guard to get a picture...amazing)! The views, the history, the caves eroded from wind and flash floods, made for a true desert adventure.

         Our serene camp spot in Blair Valley

         

  Blair Valley Off road adventure to get to our camp spot

   San Gregorio/Borrego Sink Wash area (aka De Anza Camp Site) Looks like we landed on the moon

Mud Caves in the Anza Borrego Desert

Exploring the cavernous mud caves

Is this petrified wood or weathered rocks?

Healthy ocotillo in the middle of a wash, all by himself

Weathered rock in the shape of a peach

Huge openings surrounding an area on the De Anza Expedition route

This was a stop on the De Anza Expedition, you can see why they sought shelter in this flat area

Looks like this rock has fins!

The littered ground in Military Wash

The "un-official" guardian of Military Wash

Kumeyaay trail filled with morteros and pictographs

Indian morteros scattered around the historic trail

Pictographs found on massive boulders 

Some pictographs are black and some were red

Historians say the red was used for coming of age ceremonies, mainly for young girls

Sunset over the desert at the trail start

A storm blew through and left us with an amazingly vibrant full rainbow!